The response shocks Bucky into laughter, the sound of it harsh even to his own ears. Of all the things Steve might've said to him, it's one of the worst, and so Bucky finds himself shaking his head, rocking back on one foot, as he folds his arms over his chest. He takes only a moment to collect himself, casting the briefest of glances skywards before he fixes Steve with a glare.

"How many children do you know who kept plastic explosives in their arm, Steve?" Bucky retorts. "How many children do you know who could throw a knife with my accuracy? Could shoot a gun like me? How many children could stand alongside the Invaders, utterly powerless, and not just be a liability? I was as much a child as you were just a soldier."